A need exists for a means to prevent sheared plastic shavings or scrapings from interfering with the proper seating of a circuit board in the housing of an electrical device.
One common way to retain a circuit board in an electrical device is to attach the circuit board to the housing using screws or clips. A screw is typically passed through a hole in the circuit board and received in the housing. Circuit board size and shape is generally optimized in order for the circuit board to fit within the dimensions of the housing for the electrical device. Supports or ribs for the circuit board are variously located throughout the housing, and can be located along the side walls. Uses for the supports include cooling for the device, as well as for the prevention of undesirable contact between components mounted on the circuit board and other components, wires and the like located near the circuit board.
When the supports are located along the side walls of the housing, sides of the circuit board scrape along the sides of the supports during assembly. When the supports are made of plastic, shavings or scrapings may be generated during the installation of the circuit board. By the time the circuit board reaches the resting destination on the supports, sheared plastic shavings may have accumulated between the supports and the circuit board. These plastic shavings can interfere with the proper and full seating and retention of the circuit board within the housing, and cause misalignment of critically located components and parts to be snap fitted together.
Consequently, there is a need for a circuit board support rib that can accommodate the shavings, resulting in proper seating of the circuit board within the housing.